Tarte au fromage blanc
Baked cheesecake tart
Alsatian baked cheesecake in a crisp pastry case
Alsatians call it Käsküeche, and it is the cake their pâtisseries in Strasbourg and Colmar sell by the tall wedge on Sunday mornings, to take home for dessert after lunch. Fromage blanc, eggs and a little crème fraîche are baked in a high-sided pastry case until the filling puffs well above the rim like a soufflé, then settles into a light, creamy, gently lemony cheesecake. It is much less sweet than an American cheesecake and is eaten plain, maybe with a coffee or a glass of cold milk. Taking it out of a hot oven straight into a cold kitchen is what makes it crack and sink badly. Chef's tip: switch the oven off at the end, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and let the tart cool inside for an hour.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 ½ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp cold waterabout
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb fromage blancfull-fat, drained in a sieve for 30 minutes
- 4 eggsseparated
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 3 ½ oz crème fraîche
- 1 oz cornflour
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To finish
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 3 ½ oz cold butter into 7 oz plain flour, 1 oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt. Add 1 egg yolk and enough 2 tbsp cold water to bring it together, press into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 24 cm springform tin. Roll the pastry to 3 mm and line the base and sides to a height of 4–5 cm. Chill while you make the filling.
Step 3: Whisk 1 ⅛ lb fromage blanc with the egg yolks from 4 eggs, half of 4 oz caster sugar, 3 ½ oz crème fraîche, 1 oz cornflour, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 4: In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then whisk in the rest of the sugar until glossy and the peaks just flop over at the tip.
Step 5: Fold the whites into the cheese mixture in three goes, gently, keeping as much air as you can. Pour into the pastry case.
Step 6: Bake for 50–55 minutes, until puffed above the rim, golden on top, and the centre trembles only slightly when you nudge the tin.
55 minStep 7: Turn the oven off and leave the tart inside with the door ajar for 1 hour, so it sinks slowly and evenly.
60 minStep 8: Cool completely before releasing the tin. Dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar if you like. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarte au fromage blanc take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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